Prime Minister Ahmet Arslan has directed his HEP to support the "ATA (Across The Aisle) Legislation" The legislation propose to de-recognise Ahmadism as the state religion while also taxing religious organsation's profits. While the bill actually secularises without any concessions for the religious, Arslan has branded it a "compromise" and throw his party behind it. Several leading party MPs have slammed the bill and deem it to be a concession too far to the secular opposition. Arslan's coalition partners in the JMP are opposed to the bill but Arslan is thought to be intent on quieting down the religious controversy in order to present a strong and united nation on the international scene. Jakania's confrontation with Kalopia continues to dominate its foreign policy and a new escalation seems to be on the cards.

Ambitious Military Modernisation Program Continues

President Ismail Tekin has declared "supreme satisfication" with the pace of the Jakanian military modernisation program and has certified the second phase of the five phase program to be completed. The program began in 4328 and armed with a healthy 36% increase in the military budget, has seen a considerable amount of progress and is on its 4348 target. The main objectives are increasing the size of the Land Forces, upgrading military equipment in general, with a special emphasis on the Air Force and an attempt at boosting the local arms industry. A second set of reforms involve re-organisation of central military administrative structure from the General Staff to the brigades. The general idea is to create a tighter, more cohesive command structure and cut out many duplicate and pointless positions within the hierarchy.

Government Begins "Heavy Deployment" To Kalopian BorderArslan: Kalopian Aggression Will Not Be Tolerated By JakaniaApril 4336

Jakania has announced that it had begun deploying a large number of troops at its border with Kalopia in response to Kalopia's own deployment along the Solentian border. Prime Minister Ahmet Arslan said that Government would consider deploying "a force large enough to counter anything" Jakania already has 15,000 troops at its Kalopian border and defence experts believe that the country may quadruple that force within the next three days. Jakania has asserted that Solentia has a right to build a wall for safety reasons and that it rejected any kind of imperialism hidden behind flimsy reasons. The new developments have heavily intensified the regional crisis with Jakanian bookmakers now putting the odds of an all out regional war at 5 to 3. Arslan has refused to rule out military intervention into Kalopia if the latter attacks Solentia.

Government Rejoices At "Foreign Policy Coup"Shambles At Home For HEP?July 4336

President Ismail Tekin and his government have expressed joy at the "positive fruit of Jakania's judicious show of strength" The joy comes following Kalopia been forced to back down from its confrontation with Solentia following Jakania's rapid deployment of around 60,000 troops on its border with Kalopia. Kalopia which currently has numerous confrontations with its neighbours, backed down and the whole crisis led to a cabinet crisis leading to the appointment of a new Prime Minister. Jakania has taken credit for Kalopia's humiliating climb-down and views it as an acknowledgement by Kalopia of Jakania's strength and ability to inflict damage. The Defence Ministry said the forces would stay there until further notice. Jakania maintains its stance of refusing to negotiate with Kalopia's minority government, with Foreign Minister Mehmet Cenani deeming it as "a pointless exercise"

Jakanian tanks patrolling the border

The foreign policy success has been welcomed enthusiastically by the populace but has not translated to increased popularity for the People's Action Party (HEP) The party leader Prime Minister Ahmet Arslan has been accused by party members of being too focused on international affairs and not nearly as much on domestic affairs. A leaked poll from the party's Central Office of Statistics shows that it might lose as many as half of its seats in next year's elections. Another showed that 46% of party member believe that party leader Arslan should retire ahead of the elections ending his decade long tenure. The pragmatic and even cosmopolitan stance favoured by the Prime Minister and his followers is intensely disliked by the party's base, those who still believe in the radical free-market reforms of the first term and believe that the PM's compromise on religion was just treachery.

Jakania Engagess New Suppliers

Jakania has been involved in negotiations to invite new foreign defence suppliers as part of its Military Modernisation Program. The country has earmarked 45 billion LOD for a massive purchasing program over the next decade with only a small portion of that devoted to improving the domestic defence industry. Of the 45 billion LOD, so far it is believe that the country has signed deals of up to 28 billion LOD with Majatran and Artanian defence suppliers. The Government has provided little detail so far but is believed that Istalian and Dorvish companies are the main winners marking a definitive departure from a stance of near complete reliance on Zardic companies. The Government has refused to "reserve" a specific share for domestic suppliers as demanded by local companies, although it has promised to support the local defence industry in a separate program while asking the defence industry to make use of the upcoming corporation tax cuts to improve their competitiveness in the short terr.

Arslan To Retire From PoliticsForeign Minister Cenani To Take The HelmJanuary 4337

Following Prime Minister Ahmet Arslan’s announcement that he will retire from politics at the next election, the People’s Action Party (HEP) has announced that his long serving Foreign Minister Mehmet Cenani will succeed him as party leader. Cenani was chosen by the party’s magic circle – a collection of leading party members, Cabinet Ministers, major party donors and other senior elected officials. The informal selectors appear to have placed their bets on one of the country’s most popular politicians. The party has sunk in the polls due to weariness on the part of the electorate and a perceived “obsession” with foreign policy.

New party leader Mehmet Cenani

Cenani is a 64 year old human rights lawyer. His foreign policy views are well established and strongly popular, the Foreign Minister is a hawk who believes in use of force to protect both human rights and Jakania’s national interest. Some have alleged that he’s also a follower of the so-called Madman Theory where a foreign policy actor pretends to be irrational on the world stage in order to cow opponents into restraint and possibly making mistakes. The humiliation that Kalopia faced in its recent withdrawal from yet another confrontation with Solentia Is considered by many to be Cenani’s finest "mad" moment, finer than even the silent alliances he has tied Kalopia into a knot with. It is also believed that Jakania's growing ties with Artanian superpower Dorvik are aimed at containing Kazulian influence in the region. Cenani has also boasted about building a foreign policy consensus in Jakania which will far outlive him.

His domestic views are entirely unknown, it is expected that he will view domestic policy as a foreign policy tool and support policies which make Jakania look good on the international stage such as the grand Military Modernisation Program and various infrastructure initiatives. Following his elevation to party leader, Cenani has called for a major infrastructural overhaul, tax cuts for small enterprises, support for domestic industry and an increase to non-defence spending, particularly education. On religion, Cenani said he supported sticking with the “grand compromise” and would oppose any extreme swings towards state secularism or religious establishment.

“If he can save half of our seats, it will be a landslide victory enough for us”, a senior party member allegedly told the Arise Republic. The HEP appears to be recognizing its future as that of as a small party of the centre while the more radical rightwing JMP and the centre left MCP dominate the electorate. A new competitor the progressive YIP are expected to make their own mark. The HEP’s near-uninterrupted decade in power has seen the party moderate from a strongly Ahmadist-influenced party of the economic right to a much more pragmatic and centrist party.

Jakania has placed its armed forces on "amber alert" following the breakout of border clashes between its neighbours Deltaria and Kalopia. The Jakanian Defence Ministry stated that "Kalopian aggression" was very likely to be directed at Jakania too and that the Jakanian Armed Forces needed to be on high levels of preparation. Border patrols are being stepped up and more troops be rolled in and the Defence Ministry has spoken of an ability to roll out as many as 70,000 troops (in addition to the 55,000 already stationed) in the coming weeks. A state of emergency is likely to be declared in the border regions and possibly expanded to include the entire country if the conflict escalates. In a provocative campaign statement, HEP party leader and Foreign Minister Mehmet Cenani called on Kazulia to "reign in its little puppet before it brings fire upon itself from all directions"

In a powerful personal victory for the new party leader, the HEP has won the Jakanian elections. The HEP which had gone into the elections expected to lose around half of all its seats ended up losing just over a tenth while remaining the largest party in the Grand National Assembly. The surprise victory has been attributed to a campaign that focused heavily on the party leader Mehmet Cenani’s personal popularity with the electorate. A poll in the Bureniye Daily Dispatch showed that 62% of all Jakanians had a positive view of the Foreign Minister – far more than those which approved of his party (24%)

Following the victory Cenani has begun negotiating a continuation of the current centre-right coalition. This is expected to go through without much hassle thus providing continuity in an era of upheaval in the region. The coalition easily finished its four year term without any major friction and Cenani especially has built a strong relationship with President Ismail Tekin the leader of the JMP.The HEP has taken care to keep good relations with parties across the aisle or at the very least, remain agreeable.

Several old HEP faces are to leave government with many having served almost continuously for the past decade. Replacing Cenani as Foreign Minister is Adnan Zolu the Ambassador to the World Congress. A disciple of Cenani’s, Zolu is expected to carry on with the hawkish and confrontational line established by the incoming PM. A new Defence Minister in the person of the retired Air Vice Marshal Ilker Ersin will symbolize Jakania’s active attempts at a military modernization driven by building a strong air force. Indeed, just about 45% of all new military purchases are aerial-related. There are however rumours that the new cabinet may only be short-lived as the Grand National Assembly is actively exploring the possibility of creating an all-party "national government".

We find Kazulia's moves utterly unnecessary and provocative. Why would a foreign power from thousands of miles away be so interested in supporting Kalopian aggression and genocidal intent? Kazulia should play a grown-up role in this and not attach itself to petty nationalist causes like those of the Kalopian "Reformists" elsewise it risks losing its moral authority as a great power in Terra. It has become clear to Jakania that Kalopia's just another Kazulian province. If there are to be any future negotiations, we might as well negotiate with Skalm rather than with the Governor of Kalopia Mr. M. Minosasa or his provincial Chief Minister K.Kapilani.

All that said, we refuse to be intimidated into ceasing our fight for minority rights in Kalopia. Kazulia would have to nuke every Jakanian settlement before this natural concern in human rights disappeared.

The Government has rejected the authenticity of a supposedly "leaked plan" which shows the Defence Ministry drawing up a so-called"Operation Blinding Sword" The supposed operation would involve a pre-emptive strike on western Kalopia in an attempt to create a demilitarised zone in western Kalopia with the intent of giving itself more breathing space. This supposedly came following the Kazulian deployment in Kalopia which Karadag is viewing as a move by Skalm to enable Kalopian aggression on Jakania. The Jakanian government has hardened its position following the Kazulian interference and has added another 15,000 troops to its eastern border (now totalling 85,000 men) )while moving more sophisticated military equipment into the border areas. The Prime Minister said that the border might be shut down completely depending on how the security situation proceeds. The Defence ?ministry called the plan "fraudulent nonsense" and restated Jakania's official position of "staunch vigilance"

Jakania To Send Special Emissary To Solentia and Istalia

In the rise of Solentia's slavery controversy, Jakania had been careful to condemn slavery and affirm the unacceptability of it but has resisted condemning its strategic ally Solentia. Instead, Jakania has sent former Prime Minister Ahmet Arslan to attempt to resolve the diplomatic dispute by appealing to both countries and pointing out how the ongoing "crisis of Kalopian-Kazulian aggression" is the bigger task and the one on which all actions should be based upon.

Jakania has commented on Istalia's apaprent u-turn from supporting its Majatran Alliance partner Deltaria to backing Kalopia in the dispute between the two central Majatran nations. Foreign Minister Adnan Zolu said the logic surrounding Istalia's sudden change was "impenetrable" and said he considered it an abdication of influence in the region to Kazulia.

Istalia seems to be following Kazulia and accept its role in the region. What role is that? Rogue bombings of peaceful nations like Deltaria. Deltaria has suffered not one but two terror attacks, one committed by Kalopia (as the Majatran Alliance itself earlier confirmed) and now this recent bombing by Kazulia. Yet here we see Istalia the queen of human rights and civilisation back the criminals and terrorists in Skalm and Eleopolis. Jakania condemns the lawless and uncivilised Kazulian terror bombing and we say it shows us just how toxic it is to have a failed state like Kalopia in our midst, one that is just used by any Tom,Dick and Harry to advance their hegemonic agendas.

The Istalian u-turn has disappointed foreign policy makers in Jakania who had intervened in the slavery dispute between Solentia and Istalia and played a role in reconciling the two to a certain degree. Now it appears all that was a waste and only one option remains for Karadag - the strengthening of ties with the Deltarian Empire and Solentia. With Jakania feeling very threatened, anything is now possible and the region's tensions may just be about to reach an explosive climax.

Jakanian Foreign Minister Adnan Zolu struck an unusually positive and generous note in his comments on recent Kalopian political developments. Zolu said Jakania was freezing deployments on its border with Kalopia. It is believed that as many as 80 to 85,000 troops are posted on the border along with hundreds of tanks, dozens of fighter jets and other military equipment. Zolu also rather surprisingly, paid his respect to the retiring Kalopian President Milo Minosasa calling him "a maverick leader and memorable to all." Some have wondered if Jakania's merely buying time while it goes "shopping for powerful allies", as one analyst put it

Jakania's softening of its stance is thought to be driven by domestic political considerations rather than any particular grand diplomatic strategy. Zolu and his boss Prime Minister Mehmet Cenani are facing rising dissent within their People's Action Party (HEP). Many on the party's right view the foreign adventurism with suspicion and question such harshness towards an Ahmadi majority nation like Kalopia while allying with Hosian majority nations like the Deltarian Empire and Solentia. The creation of the all-party "national" government has also annoyed many HEP conservatives who consider any collaboration with the leftist MCP to be unacceptable.

There is also the matter of the rapid increase in defence spending which has put pressure on the Government to raise taxes. A highly unpopular sales tax on basics was passed with much protest on the backbenches of the HEP. A proposal by the JMP Finance Minister to raise income tax provoked a massive revolt by HEP MPs, so much so that the Prime Minister was forced to give in and abstain from supporting the move. Led by the HEP's Finance Spokesman Misac Xanthos, the rebels demanded that spending cuts be prioritised over tax hikes. Rumours are abound that the Prime Minister might find himself challenged for leadership at the next party Congress.

The Jakanian government has announced that it will reach its goals for military modernisation three years early in 4345. The Military Modernisation Program began in 4328 and is a 45 billion LOD program of weapon improvement, upgrading and development of the local defence industry. Several important goals such as self-sufficiency in small arms and armour production while most purchases have been completed in part that to the cheap Beiteynuese surplus and what Prime Minister Mehmet Cenani described as "the legendary efficiency of the Dorvish industry" The PM also praised the local defence industry which for the first time in 4338 managed to export 1 billion LOD largely to Third world nations.

The annual Defence Fair in Vahasi

The defence news join another happy series of reports on the economy. The economy which has now been liberalised for just over 12 years has continued firing well and the growth rate remains impressive with average growth over the past decade estimated at 4.5% The country's period of prolonged political stability has helped maintain this growth as policies have bee applied consistently. Several Jakanians have struggled to transition into a more liberal economic model while the growth in skills has not kept up with economic growth. As such the country now has the ridiculous situation where there are considerable labour shortages in a number of skilled sectors while unemployment remains quite a problem.

Jakania Keeps Neighbours Guessing

With the break out of the Deltarian-Kalopian war, many expected Jakania to come down hard on Kalopia and join Deltaria in invading the central Majatran nation. Nothing like that has happened. Instead Jakania seems to be focusing on domestic political concerns. Prime Minister Mehmet Cenani for one narrowly survived a conservative challenge at his party conference late last year. The challenge was driven by increased disillusion with Jakania's perceived interventionism and apparent willingness to ally with Hosian powers against a poor Ahmadi neighbour. Following the challenge, Cenani has announced that Jakania will investigate the option of armed neutrality in the war but refused to rule out picking a side at one point or another.